Gait restoration in paraplegic patients: a feasibility demonstration using multichannel surface electrode FES

Recent advances in science have aided research toward the restoration of biped gait in paraplegic patients by means of functional electrical stimulation (FES). In this paper it is shown how FES-restrengthened muscles of paraplegic patients have been used for simple FES-assisted standing. Those experiments subsequently led to biped gait-initializing experiments and to simple forms of biped gait synthesis. The purpose of this paper is to show the feasibility of using FES for standing and for restoring biped gait in many paraplegic patients--to present the past achievements, focus on problems, and highlight directions for future research. The results of gait obtained in three complete spinal cord injured patients (out of a series of 17) are shown, using four to six channels of FES. It is also shown how preserved reflex mechanisms of the transected spinal cord can be incorporated and employed for obtaining improved function while at the same time simplifying the FES hardware. Of the three patients reported on in detail here, two patients have managed to walk in parallel bars while the third patient has mastered independent unassisted walking over shorter distances with the aid of a roller walker. The biomechanical and control problems of this last patient's gait are presented in detail.